In The Crosshairs

Snow? That's not snow. The pits at Capital Cross.

Proteus Bikes’ Super Bowl of Singlespeed may have been pushed back a week but that does not mean there will be no cyclocross racing in the Nation’s Capital this Sunday. Tim Rugg (Battley Harley/Sonoma) and Justin “Rez” Resnick (District Velocity/The Bike Rack) are not going to let the forecasted 36 to 360 inches of snow stop them from racing.

Before we get the details of what these guys have planned, I have to say I’m a little worried that Rez is spearheading this effort. As we saw way back in September, slippery surfaces are not always his forte. For those that may have missed it, here’s a recap.

And now for deets on this Sunday courtesy of Tim and Rez:

WOOH SNOW CROSS!! Spread the word, this is gonna be AAAAWESOME.

We could use some extra orange sport cones to set up the courses so please bring some if you have them!

Newbies, spectators, hecklers, snowball throwers, and photographers welcome!

Route: here

Schedule:
09:45am – Optional breakfast at Open City Cafe.

11:00am – Meet-up at Rock Creek Park exercise area, set up course, do preview lap.
Stage 1 – Rock Creek Park exercise area start at 11:30 SHARP.
Race TBD laps until 11:55 or so.

12:15pm – Meet-up at Calvert St Bridge park, set up course, do preview lap.
Stage 2 – Calvert St Bridge park at 12:30 SHARP.
Race TBD laps until 12:55 or so.

2:15pm – Meet-up at City Bikes to ride over to Malcolm X Park.
2:30pm – Meet-up at Malcolm X, set up course, do preview lap.
Race TBD laps until 3 or so.

Dombrowski on his way to winning Schooley Mill 'Cross

Those that raced cyclocross this past season in the Mid-Atlantic already know Joe Dombrowski. The eighteen year old Haymarket Bicycle/HomeVisit rider could be found in the front group of most MABRA races he entered this year. He usually finished on the podium and captured some impressive victories along the way.

While most of us have hung up the ‘cross bikes for the season, Joe is spending his second consecutive Christmas in Belgium racing bikes against the best cyclocross competition that the world has to offer. As an invitee to Geoff Proctor’s Euro Cross Camp, Dombrowski is living in the Team USA House—along with a group of U-23 and junior racers, as well as a handful of elite riders—and competing in up to nine races in 14 days.

We caught up with Joe to see how his second season is progressing, learn a little more about racing in Belgium and get some insights into life at the Team USA house.

How was your travel to Belgium? I saw where Jeff Bahnson’s bikes didn’t make it on the same flight as him. Any similar issues for you?

The travel was rough. Belgium was getting snow that they haven’t seen in years. I spent 14 hours in the London airport, which made for a total travel time of 37 hours without sleep. Jeff and several others were missing bikes, wheels, and various other pieces of luggage.

Take us through a typical day in which you are not racing. When do you wake up, train, eat, etc. How do you spend the downtime?

The Euro Cross Camp wheel stash.

Geoff comes by each room and wakes us up in waves. Juniors first, U-23s next, and Elites last. He wants us to be on the same schedule on non-race days as we are on race days. I usually get up at 8:30.

Training starts after breakfast. It doesn’t get light here until 9:00, and we usually are on the bikes around 11:00. After training, I just try to keep the legs up and get a nap in if possible. Els [Delaere (House Directress and Head Chef)] cooks a delicious hot dinner each night.

With another year of racing under your belt, is there anything about Euro Cross Camp that is easier than it was in 2008?

I came into this year’s camp with a better perspective on the level of racing. It’s a bit of a shock when you first start doing big races here; this is definitely not a forgiving place.

Guys at the camp are racing juniors and U-23, right? Do you all travel to the race together? What’s the pre-race routine like?

The camp is mostly juniors and U-23s, but we do have three Elites as well though. Each group travels to the race together, and comes back together. If it is a late race, usually we are on the rollers in the morning keeping the legs loose. If the race is earlier in the day, we will grab breakfast and jump in the van and go to the race.

Usually we can get back from our race in time to watch the Elites race on TV. Continue reading »

The Finishing Stretch. Photo: Anthony Skorochod

The Bilenky Cycle Works Urban Junkyard Cyclocross took place Sunday, December 20 in Philadelphia, Pa. In year’s past the biggest obstacles in this race were hulls of rotting cars, rusting detritus and an oil-slicked race surface. The cars and detritus remained this year, the race is in a junkyard after all, but the oil was replaced by snow. This meant that the crash total remained about the same but road rash was not as big a problem. Racers also had to keep alert for the well-aimed snowball.

Your CXHairs Camera Crew Hard At Work.

The course features a sweet jump into a pond of sofa cushions, a dumpster fly-over and a quick trip through a tractor-trailer. Ryan Dudek (TOMS Shoes p/b KindHuman Sports) strapped on the CXHairs helmet-cam for the five-lap race. He not only gets some great footage but also hangs on for third place in the ‘B’ race (as far as we know).

For more photos of this race and many others from the 2009 cyclocross season, check out Anthony Skorochod’s CyclingCaptured.com.

I am playing around with different video hosting options. This should allow for longer videos without degrading the quality. However, it also means, you won’t be able to find the footage on You Tube. So if you want to show your friends the race, send them here.

As always, if the video isn’t streaming fast enough, click on the HD button to turn HD off. Thanks for watching.

Pat Blair at Urban Cross

Adam Driscoll and Patrick Blair (Adventures for the Cure) usually get interviewed on this site because they are fast guys finishing at the top of their fields each week of the ‘cross season.Blair is always battling for the top step in the 3/4 race and sometimes jumps in to the elite race for a little more pain. Driscoll, in his first year in the elites, is a mainstay on the podium, nipping at the heels of the top three finishers every race.

Driscoll at Rockburn

Driscoll will be the first to tell you he is still learning the CX game. He hasn’t been racing that many years and was handing it to the cat fours only two years ago. The first time I remember seeing Adam was in 2007 at the Ed Sander Memorial race. He was leading the C race when he had a mechanical with about a quarter lap to go. Second place was charging hard but Driscoll didn’t panic. He picked up his bike and got his sprint on. I think he ran that finishing stretch, shouldering the bike, faster than most could ride it. He held off second and took the win. He then fixed the bike, lined-up, and podiumed in the B race.

With that flavor of toughness and persistence it is not a surprise that Driscoll would conceive a plan to ride his fixed-gear across the country. Along with Blair and Jesse Stump, the trio set out in 2006 to ride their bikes across the continent, raise awareness for diabetes and support a host of other worthy causes. So why the fixed-gear angle? As Adam—who is a Type-1 diabetic—puts it, “everybody knows somebody that has ridden their bike across the country, but not many know of somebody doing it on a fixed-gear bike.”

So how did the trip go? Luck has it that you can find out for yourself. “Adventures For The Cure: The Doc” will be screened tonight, December 3, at Bicycle Stations (2204 14th st NW). Show starts at 7pm with a screening of a short documentary on the 2009 Lost River Classic. Don’t show up late, word has it the shop can seat around thirty folks.

Although not officially part of the Bicycle Film Festival, the AFC movie is a nice kick-off for a weekend of all things celluloid and bike. For more information on the festival, check back here tomorrow and also go here: bicyclefilmfestival.com.

If you can’t make it to the screening, the AFC documentary is available for purchase at www.adventuresforthecuremovie.com.

Recently, I chatted with Adam and Pat about the movie and life on the road with your single-speed bicycle. Here’s what they had to say.

In fifty words or less (and, yes, I’m counting) tell us what the movie is about.

Patrick Blair: Three guys riding across the country on fixed-gear bikes! The mission is to make a difference while having fun biking across country and fixed gears makes it more of a challenge. Submission: sing karaoke in every state they visit! [40 words]

Adam Driscoll: An award winning documentary which covers a group of three cyclists in summer of 2006 as they bike 6,500 miles across the country on fixed gear bikes to raise money and awareness for American Diabetes Association and Kupenda for the Children. It also shows us attempting to do karaoke each state we bike through and you experience how bad of a singer I am. [63 words. Good thing we aren't doing this interview on Twitter.] Continue reading »

The CXHairs Team Bike At Schooley Mill

The Howard County Double Cross weekend took place November 21 and 22. Schooley Mill Cross, a new race, featured long power sections and some muddy climbs. Rockburn Cross featured the same exciting single-track sections, punchy climbs and technical turns as it has the past three years.

For these interviews, I tracked down podium finishers that have yet to grace the cyber-pages of In The Crosshairs for their racing prowess. This way we get a couple more voices in the mix, with different takes on some of the same old questions. I also included sixth place finishers at Rockburn because those folks won pie. And if you win pie, you deserve to be recognized.

I think the highlight of these interviews is the great discussion on race starts and the hole shot. Pay attention to what these folks are saying and see if their successful strategy matches up with what you are doing.

Thanks for reading.

What is your pre-race routine?

Rusty Williford (Fulcrum Coaching/WWVC Racing, Rockburn Cat 3/4, 4th place): Same thing every week: Get to the course by 8:30, recon the course until 9, kit-up and hit the trainer by 10, off-the trainer by 10:35 and head to the course for either 1 hot lap or a few starts.

Andreas Gutzeit (HPC List, Schooley Mill Masters 3/4, 4th place): I do about two laps of the course, mainly looking for good lines. Then I do 30 minute warm-up. Jeff Anderson describes cross racing as a reverse crit. Very helpful for a novice roadie. So now I have taken to practice the start on the course a couple of times and it really served me well at Schooley Mill. I was fourth into the dirt and ended up fourth 40 minutes later.

Brach hits the climbs at Rockburn (Nystrom not pictured)

Chris Nystrom (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Elite Masters, Schooley Mill 8th, Rockburn 6th): Arrive early enough to preview the course before the start of the race two slots before my race. Really getting to know and understand the track is key. Pin up the number and get dressed during the race (two prior) and ride the course with a bit more speed before the next race. Ride the trainer and b.s. with teammates during the race just before mine. Red Bull 45 minutes before my start. Get to the line, relax and visualize the start. Remember to have fun.

John Cutler (CycleLife DC, 1st place Schooley Mill Men’s 3/4, 19th place Rockburn Elite Masters): Coffee and a Starbucks egg sandwich (kind of disgusting, yes, but fast). Drive. Listen to NPR or that weird show about parenting. A moment of sheer terror trying to find a gas station with a restroom. Arrive in the middle of one of the races. 20 minutes to get number and get ready to pre-ride. Ride a couple laps. Pretend that I’m actually remembering the corners and lines. Hop on the trainer for 40 minutes. I used to never bring a trainer, but I’ve come around. You can listen to music and zone out. Then Race.

When a race throws a kink in my plans—like a really long walk to registration, one port-potty, a line at registration, a line for the hose, etc.—it really throws me for a loop. I said this last year, but I’ll say it again. NEXT YEAR I’m going all out with the tent, the easy chairs, that little mat for taking of your shoes, the cooler, etc. For two days of racing your post race routine is really important as well. Instead of jumping back into the car while slamming recovery shakes, it can pay to relax, socialize, put your feet up, and commune with fellow racers.

Jeff Trinh (Georgetown University, 1st place at Schooley Mill Men’s Cat 4, 6th place at Rockburn Men’s Cat 4): Coffee and oatmeal for breakfast. When I get to the race site I get dressed and pre-ride the course, making sure to drink plenty of water in between laps. One of the advantages of doing the 9am race is that you have plenty of time to pre-ride, so I like take my time and make mental notes about which lines I’ll pick.

Elizabeth Harlow (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes, Women’s 1,2,3 Schooley Mill 4th and Rockburn 6th): Ride the course a couple of times before the Master Men’s Elite race. Paying attention to anything that may give me trouble. Ride around easy while the men race and then ride the course again close to race pace after the men finish.

Jon Hicks (Winchester Wheelemen, Rockburn Cat 4 5th place): The first lap to get a feel for the flow and the second much slower, looking for objects to avoid. A gel and FRS 30 minutes before the start.

Andrew Welch (Squadra Coppi, Mens 3/4, 3rd at Schooley Mill, 1st at Rockburn): I don’t like to have a lot of down time before my race, so I usually show up just in time to get a couple laps in before the previous race goes out … nothing too fast, just some course recon and easy warm-up. Then I get my number, change kit, and finish warming up … on the road. I have a trainer in my car, but it hasn’t come out all season.  Continue reading »

Mud and the MABRA 'Cross finale go hand in hand.

The MABRA ‘Cross Championship took place November 29, 2009, at Taneytown Memorial Park, Taneytown, Md. Under sunny skies and warm temperatures, racers faced a course of varied conditions. Fast asphalt, gravel and grass sections funneled riders into muddy bogs. Some ridable and others, not so much.

The video captures the first ten minutes of the masters 3/4 group from the helmet-cam and the seat-stay camera. The helmet-cam video angle is a little more severe than usual. This is the result of what could be described as a wardrobe malfunction but more accurately was an ill-advised wardrobe decision. I almost always wear a CXHairs.com cycling cap under my helmet (if you want one, e-mail me at cxhairs@gmail.com). On most occasions said cycling cap faces forward. On this day, I wore it backwards. This pushed my helmet forward a centimeter or so and lowered the horizon on the video.

Music this week is courtesy of Paper+Plastick. This label has a slew of fantastic artists. Three are featured here: Failers’ Union, Rehasher and The AKAs. Please go to paperandplastick.com to discover even more great material. If you like what you hear, buy an LP or download some tracks to keep you motivated on the trainer this winter.

Thanks for watching.

Ryan Douglas (R1V/Arrow Bicycle) working the off-camber. Photo: Joel Steen

Day two of the Howard County Double Cross took place November 22 in Elkridge, Maryland. In its third year, Rockburn Cross is a Mid-Atlantic favorite that features greasy corners, fast single-track and quick hard climbs.

With the sunny open sections and wooded single-track, this course works well on video. It may be paradoxical to say that you can move forwards and backwards at the same time, but this clip shows the possibilities as the camera quickly works its way from the front to the back of the pack.

Music is again by our friend, Caleb Stine. It may be a little slower and a little quieter than other tunes featured on CXhairs.com, but music doesn’t have to be hard and fast to be punk. I guess that’s the second paradox of the day. Check out Caleb at www.calebstine.com.

Thanks for watching.

Killer Bs work the stairs at the Ix factory

Urban Cross at Ix 2009 took place on November 15 in Charlottesville, Virginia. The course takes place on the grounds of an abandoned factory and features a ton of elevation change, good power sections and on this day, unseasonably warm temperatures. The video is from the first ten minutes of the Masters 3/4 race. Pay special attention to the rear-facing camera at about the 45 second mark. The race comes to a standstill as riders start piling up on the muddy off-camber turn. Good lesson in why a decent start is important. You don’t need to win the hole shot, but being near the front is the best way to avoid the bottlenecks.

There was a lot of running on this course. The heavy rains leading up to race day made the normally ridable hills unridable. There was also a staircase and one set of barriers. As you will see, these barriers jumped up and got me on the first lap.

Music this week is by The Burdens. Check them out at www.theburdens.com.

Thanks for watching.

Winfield lining up the sausage preme.

Dee Dee Winfield (C3-Athletes Serving Athletes) is one of the fast women on the national cyclocross scene. Looking at the results for 2009 she has been on the podium in her last eight races. She came into the 2009 Tacchino Ciclocross a clear favorite, and did not disappoint, taking the win seemingly with ease. In fact, Dee Dee had established such a large gap on the field that she had time for a couple packaged meat hand-ups from host team Squadra Coppi’s “Suitcase of Sausage.” 

We caught up with Dee Dee to talk about her day. 

How much time do you spend on the course before racing? 

For a 2:30 race, I usually arrive between 11 and 11:30. It takes time to get numbers, trainers set up, chat with a few people, try to make sure I am not too rushed.  

Do you walk the course? 

If it is super muddy, I may just walk the course and not ride but usually I will ride around while others are racing, check out potentially difficult areas, see how others ride those sections. I will hop on the course in between races for a few laps. 

Do any hot laps? 

One or two before the 1:30 race. 

What are you looking for during this time? 

Areas where I can make up time or where time may be made up on me due to strengths or weaknesses in my abilities. Places that may be difficult to pass or challenging in general, what line to take.  Continue reading »

Dombrowski at the 2009 Charm City Cyclocross

Joe Dombrowski (Haymarket Bicycles/HomeVisit) may only be eighteen years old but he has already made his mark on the Mid-Atlantic cyclocross scene. He currently leads the MABRA ‘Cross series in the elite category and is coming off a nice win at last Sunday’s Tacchino Ciclocross at Rosaryville State Park, Maryland. Joe only started racing cyclocross in 2008, coming from a mountain-biking background to the road. Although his time in the sport may be short, he has crammed in a whole lot of experience in that time. This includes a two-week stint of Euro-style cross in Belgium, where he raced against some of the best young ‘crossers in Europe.

I talked with Joe about racing, training, and his experiences in Europe. Here’s one takeaway for those among you that are easily offended by a slight touch of wheels or getting squeezed off your line. That ain’t nothing compared to Belgium. As Joe explains below, if you aren’t chopping, elbowing and shoving, you’re just not racing.

Thanks for reading.

You come to cyclocross from an MTB background; do you consider either discipline your primary focus?

At this point, I think I am a little to young to specialize in anything.  However, I think I will probably focus more on road and ‘cross in the future. The switch to the road would be purely because of support; there are not nearly as many opportunities in mountain bike racing.

What do you think your strengths are as a cyclist? Do you think this favors MTB over ‘cross or vice versa?

I definitely excel at climbing, particularly on the road. This is probably more beneficial to mountain bike, and some road racing than cyclocross though. Unfortunately bike racing isn’t all uphill time trials. Continue reading »